Evaporator unit



March 5, '1946. J. H, BENSON EVAPORATOR UNIT Filed Feb. 20, 195:5

ATTORNEY5 M w w dog/v H. ammo/v.

Patented Mar. 5, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EVAPORATOR UNIT a JohnH; Benson, Salem, Ohio; assignor to Mullins Manufacturing Corporation,Salem, corporation of New York Application February 20,1933, Serial No.657,491

Ohio, a

3 Claims. (cl. 62-126) This invention relates to an evaporator unit ofthe sheet metal type, and has to do particularly with sheet metalevaporators such as disclosed in Reissue Patent No. 18,182 of September8, 1931, as adapted for-high side fioats or regulators.

The evaporator of the present invention iswell adapted to be fabricatedfrom either two sheets or a single'folded sheet of metal, and itis anobject of the present invention to materially reduce the size of theheader by providing a p lu-.

rality of smaller headers and thus greatly'mcrease the flexibility ofthe construction-to make possible narrower widths and greater use forthe shape. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to4, the evaporator is shown as consisting of headers 2 and 3, the upperembossed portions 4 and 5 of the headers being formed in the outer shellof the evaporated which may be generally designated 6, and the lowerembossed portions 1 and 8 of, the headers being formed in an innershell-which may be generally designated ah v plurality 6f corrugations I0 are formed in the ---o1iter shell G'and extend from the headers 2 and3 to a common bottom header I I. If desired, cross manifolds I2 may beformed to the-outer shell parallel to and spaced a short distance fromthe bottom header I I. I

Both the outer shell 6 and the inner shell 9 are preferably fabricatedfrom single fiat sheets of ,metal. In fabricating the fiatouter sheet,the arcuate portions 4 and 5, the upper portion of ofthe sheets formingthe evaporator, with the result: that the spaces between the headers mayvary considerably.-

Other features of design, construction, and arrangement will be moreclearly set forth in the specification and claims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a sheet metal evaporator embodying thepresent invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig.3.

- Fig. '3 is a-plan view of .the structure shown in Fig. 1, illustratingparticularly the spaced apart headers and the connecting T therefor.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on linedl of Fig. 3.

' vFi 5 is a fragmentary, partly elevational, partly3 ;sectional, .view.of a modified form of seamv welded evaporator with a single mainheader.

Fig. 6.215 a longitudinal sectional view taken on line 8-6 of Fig. 5,illustrating the fabrication and seamwelding of the ends of the header.I

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary plan view taken on line 7-1 of Fig. 6, showinga portion ofthe header'and a portion of'one side wall.

The present invention is particularly applicable to sheet metalevaporators of the type disclosed in Booth Reissue Patent No. 18,182,wherein the evaporator is formed of two sheets of metal which are fittedtogether, welded, and .then bent to a connecting T I'3between theheaders, the corrugations III, the bottom header I I, and the manifoldsI2 are all formed from the 'flat sheet in one stamping operation. Thespacing of the headers 2 and 3from the edges I4 may vary considerably,but the connecting T I3 is fabricated to take care of any suchvariation.

Likewisethe lower portions 1 and 8 of the headers 2 and 3 are formed inthe inner shell whilestill in a flat sheet, and are spaced acorresponding'distance from the ends I4 of the inner shell. An.important feature to be noted here is that the entire wall sectionsforming the headers 2, 3, II and the manifolds I2 are embossed in theflat inner or outer sheets with the result that no portion of thesurfaceof the headers or manifolds v r are welded. This makes for an unusuallystrong wall structure at the point where strength is most needed. Afterthe embossed but fiat inner,

and outer Shells 6 and 9 are brought into registry with each other, thetwo shells are seam welded around their entire periphery, both ends andthe sides being completely seam welded so as to seal the space betweenthe two shells, seam welding taking place at the points marked I5.

While still in the fiat, the two sheets are reinforced intermediate theseam welded periphery by spot or stitch'welding in between thecorrugations I0, starting at the'headers 2 and 3 and preferablycontinuing to the manifolds I2 and also between the manifolds I2 and theheader I I.

After the inner and outer sheets have been welded together byseamwelding and spot or stitch welding, tl twosheets may then be bent tothe desired shape to form an evaporator.

It will be obvious that either a high and narrow or a short and wideevaporator may be fabricated from the same fiat sheets, and that vari--ous contours may also be formed. The ends of the seam welded sheets mayor may not be welded at the points it and, as best shown in Fig. 3, 5openings it are preferably formed in the top wall. Fig. 4 is an enlargedview well illustrating the manner of connecting together the headers 2and 3 by the T unit Hi. The main portion of this T is preferablyfabricated directly from the sheets 6' and 9 and a common outlet nipplel'l forms the connecting means for completing the T unit l3. One end ofthe header II, as formed by the inner shell 9, is preferably enlarged asat l8 to receive an inlet plug l9.

The evaporator is particularly well suited for use with a high sidefloat, capillary tubes and the like, and hence the provision of theinlet IS in communication with the lower header II.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7, a larger single header20 is formed from one piece inner and outer sheets 2| and 22.. Theheader 2!! is closed at the ends which permits of complete seam weldingaround the periphery of the two sheets; while still in'the flat, in thesame manner as described in connection with the preferred disclosureshown in Figs. 1 to 4. In additionto the header 20, cross manifolds 23are formed parallel to and closely adjacent the header. The seamwelding, spot welding and general fabrication of theevaporator, shown inFigs. 5 to '7, is the same as disclosed in connection with theevaporator shown in Fig. 1, with the exception that the welded fiatsheets are initially in the-position illustrated in Fig. 6 of thereissue patent of Booth 5 No. 18,1.82, and such side walls are bent toform the sharp freezing chamber by .bending the walls downwardly aboutsuitable dies and then preferably joining the same together along a linedirectly below the header. 40

It will thus be seen that I have provided an evaporator of the sheetmetal two-piece type which is extremely simple, compact, highlyresistant to internal pressure and relatively cheap to fabricate andassemble. Cupped ends'are com- 5 pletely eliminated and the completeunit sealed and welded in one continuous operation by simply allowingseam welder torun arou'ndthe entire periphery, unobstructed by anybreaks in the boiler. There is substantially no limit to the narrownessor, for that matter, to thewidth, of the evaporatorand likewise thelength of the connecting T i3 between the headers can be variedconsiderably. Theconnecting members at the top of the evaporator,between the spaces l6, may be of a length comparable to the length ofthe T [3 so as to take the form of fixed spacers to prevent the freezingchambers from warping or distorting during the welding, enameling, andannealing operations.

What I claim is:

1. A sheet metal evaporator comprising an outer one piece shell and aninner one piece shell bent to form the side and bottom walls of a sharpfreezing chamber, arcuate depressions formed parallel to and spaced fromthe ends of one of said shells and also spaced from the front and backedges of said shell, said arcuate depressions other due to the bent formof the evaporator, embossed portions formed in one shell and cooperatingwith the other to. form conduits extending around the side and bottomwalls of the evaporator and connecting the two headers, said shellsbeing welded together around the front and back peripheries and acrossthe end peripheries, said arcuate depressions being dimensioned to formheaders each of cross sectional area slightly greater than theindividual embossed conduits, and a connecting T forming a commonrefrigerant conduit between said two headers, a portion of thisconnecting T being embossed directly from a portion of the sheetsbetween the two spaced headers. a

2. A sheet metal evaporator comprising an outer one piece shell and aninner one piece shell bent to. form the side and bottom walls of a sharpfreezing chamber, arcuate depressions formed parallel to and spaced fromthe ends of one of said shells and also spaced from the front and backedge of said shell, said arcuate depressions cooperating with theothershell to form headers located at the ends of the shells butadjacent each other due to the bent form of the evaporator, embossedportions formed in one shell and cooperating with the other to formconduits extending around the side and bottomwalls of the evaporator andconnecting the two headers, said shells being. welded together aroundthe front and back peripheries and across the end peripheries, saidarcuate depressions being dimensioned to form headers each of cross,sectional area slightly greater than the individual embossed conduits,and a connecting T forming a common refrigerant conduit between said twoheaders, a portion of this connecting T being embossed directly from aportion of the sheets between the two spaced headers, the greaterporticnof said headers being located outside the sharp freezing chamber definedby the front periphery of the inner one piece shell.

3. A sheet 'metal evaporator comprising an outer one piece shell and aninner one piece shell I bent to form the side and bottom walls of asharp freezing chamber, arcuate depression formed parallel toand spacedfrom the ends of one of said shellsand also spaced from the front andback edges ofsaid shell, said arcuate depressions 00- operating with theother shell toform headers located at the ends of the'shells butadjacent each other due to the bent form of 'the evaporator, embossedportions formed in one shell and cooperating with the other to formconduits extending around the side and bottom walls of the evaporatorand connecting the two headers, said shells being welded. togetheraround the front and back peripheries and across the end peripheries,said arcuate depression being dimensioned to form headers each of crosssectional areaslightly greater than the individual embossed conduits,and a connecting T forming a common refrigerant conduit between saidtwo'headers, a portion of this connecting T being embossed directly froma portion of the sheets, between the two spaced headers, the greaterportion of said header being formed by arcuate depressions in the outerone piece shell.

' 1 JOHN H. BENSON.-

